Please - Help With Graphic Conversion Using Inkscape Cricut

I am going to lose my mind....I have spent no less then 6 hours trying to figure out this program and how to do what has been described as a 'simple' task.

I am using my Cricut to cut vinyl for advertising cling. I need a simple cupcake and cake (kinda fancy, on a stand) silouette to 'weld' or touch the letters for easy identification at the shop.

I CANNOT locate a simple. svg image of the outline of a cupcake. Pref with a candle or cherry but a simple muffin/cupcake silouette would work great. I posted here and someone said download Inkscape, find a bitmap and convert it.

I found both and cannot for the life of me figure out how to do it. And I can't even locate anything for the cake. The Cricut cartridge 'Celebrations' has both (of course!!!!) but we bought the Sure Cuts A Lot program specifically to avoid having to buy separate cartridges.

to make the image into an SVG file you need to open it in inkscape, then using the arrow on the top left of the screen (all black arrow) select the whole image. Then click edit, make a bitmap copy. Then click view, display mode, outline. (a big red x appears on the image and that means you're on the right track) then click path, trace bitmap; a pop up menu will appear choose update then ok and close the window. Save your file and you're all done .

I printed directions out a while ago and have been practicing since so I think I hit all the steps .

If you can't find images to use, you can either make your own in photoshop (or any image making program) or google cupcake svg. Just doing that I found several nice images.

Go to www.scrappingtable.com She has free SVG files on there. There is one of a cupcake with a candle on it and one with a wedding cake! YOu can easily download them and then use SCAL to cut them. If that doesn't work for you, let me know and I will send you steps for inkscape. I use inkscape on a regular basis to make shapes I want to make. Very easy once you figure out how to use it. But for now, there are downloadable files on the above mentioned website that will hopefully suit your needs.

Will try in VERY layman terms, open your image or create outline in a graphics editing program, I use PSP. When using an image, in mho, try to find a coloring book page or something with simple lines unless you have a working knowledge of how to make a solid image in your graphics editor.

Open Inkscape, go to file, import, find your image file you saved. Make image a size easy to work with....then go to Path, trace bitmap...if you have a solid image (filled in with solid color)...chose the setting edge detection instead of the default. If it is outlined image, choose default, brightness cutoff, click update then ok, close out that box. Move original image off and right click to delete, you will have your traced image showing now. Save as whatevername.svg.

Open SCAL (I use scal2) file....import svg, choose the whatevername.svg you just saved. The image will be huge, at least it is in mine, so I resize by going to the properties box and check keep proportions then using the width arrow size it down to work with. Move image down a bit in work space, now click on cutter and preview, you should see a solid outline where image will cut...now, if you have any double lines in your preview, go to object, break apart, your image will be solid, grab you mover at top left side and move image to the side, you will now have two images, right click on the one you moved and choose cut...you now have one image, click on that, and you should see just one outline....either cut at this point or if you want, save the file.

I hope this was understandable, not a pro, but how I do it. Attaching 2 svgs of cupcake and cake on a pedestal. Also here is a link to some really good videos of using SCAL and Inkscape. http://pennyduncancreations.com/PDC%20Tutorials.htmBest of luck on this stuff.Edited to say, not sure why files did not attach, unless it is because they are svg files. Will try something else.I PM'ed you about SVG files.